In the distance I can vaguely see the Cornucopia. It's not as close as I thought it was going to be. I step off my metal plate and fall into cold water.
I knew it!
I struggle against the current and head towards to Cornucopia. My brother will probably get there first as he is a stronger swimmer. I swim as quickly as I can, swallowing the harsh, salty water. After about half an hour, I reach it. As I step onto the island, my clothes don't drag me down. I don't feel the cold as well.
I collect a backpack and a tent pack. A boy from district one runs at me with a knife. But then he collapses. Behind stand Hickleberry. The canon fires. One dead. I take the knife from his hand and give the one in his back back to Hickleberry.
"Thanks." I say to Hickleberry.
"No problem. You would have done the same to me." She passes me a coat. "Here, take it. It's inflatable." I try to give it back to her.
"No, take it, I have five others." I put it on and zip it up. Taigo comes around the corner with a bow and arrow. Relief washes over his face as he sees us. Horsha closely follows him. Hickleberry passes a coat to both of them. She puts one on herself. She still has two left.
"Lets go." Hickleberry says.
"No." I pause. "Orchid."
Hickleberry sighs.
"She's right. We should wait." Taigo agrees. Horsha is armed with many weapons. He passes knives to me and Hicklverry, a sheath of arrows to Taigo, then keeps a bow and arrows for himself. I pass him the tent pack.
We all wait for Orchid. But she never comes. We all put our coats on and return to the water.
"Maybe she left without us?" I suggest. We all quietly hope she will be waiting for us on the island.
My coat doesn't inflate or anything, it just keeps me afloat.
Through the mist I can vaguely see an island.
"This way!" I shout as I gulp down a mouthful of sea water. Ugh.
We start to make our way to the island. As we grow closer, the beach is lined with careers. They all hold guns. I look at my brother.
"What do we do?"
" I don't know."
"We can't just float."
"We might have to." Taigo butts in. I sigh.
Hickleberry swims a little closer and raises a knife.
"Hickleberry, it won't reach!" I shout. She completely ignores me and throws the knife. It rips through the air and hits a career in the heart. A canon fires.
After a while, I give up treading water and lie flat on my back. We all chat for a bit and then the sky darkens.
The anthem sounds and the sky begins to display the pictures of the people dead.
1: Rory Gamble (District one)
2: Haymitch Bongle (District two)
3: Holmunch Crackle (District five) - The one Hickleberry killed.
4: Inkenda Arol (District nine)
Orchid is still alive. I lie on my back in the water and close my eyes. Surprisingly, I do sleep.
I dream that we are not in the Games and my family are alive. When I wake I realise that it is not true. The others are talking.
"Ah, thank goodness you are awake!" My brother cries.
"Why?" I wonder.
"The Careers want us to go to the island so they can kill us."
"Obviously. But how do they think they will do that?"
"Look for yourself."
I look over at the beach. I was expecting something like food, or shelter, but I see something completely different. Something I can't say no to.
Orchid.
